Research Funding Opportunities for Undergraduates

The Department of English, through the generous support of the John C. Hodges Better English Fund, provides funding opportunities for undergraduate English majors.

Pre-Professional Experience Grants

Full–time English majors may apply for small grants to acquire pre-professional experience. Grants are intended to assist in attendance at academic conferences or to pursue archival research. Assistance for other pre-professional activities may be considered. These grants will be considered on a rotating basis. Allow approximately one month for a decision.

Application Form:

Undergraduate Research Assistantships

The Trustees of the John C. Hodges Better English Fund approved the establishment of undergraduate research assistantships. These assistantships, which will be awarded and supervised by the director of undergraduate studies, are designed to provide students with mentored research experience on projects proposed by the professorial faculty. Following the terms approved by the Hodges Trustees, assistantships will be awarded in the amount of $10 per hour for a maximum of forty hours of work ($400). A limited number of assistantships will be available each academic year.

Criteria for faculty applications:

Projects should involve students in research skills important to our discipline and the different sub-disciplines it includes. The amount of clerical work expected (photocopying, returning library books, etc.) should be kept to a minimum

Individual faculty members may reapply for an additional assistantship, either with the same student or a different one. Additional assistantships may be awarded if funds are available.

Every attempt will be made in the awarding of assistantship to ensure that these are distributed as broadly as possible among department faculty.

The Office of Undergraduate Studies will initiate the search for assistants, but the final choice will be made by faculty members.

Criteria for student participation:

In order to apply for a research assistantship, students must be declared English majors and must hold at least 3.0 grade point averages overall and in the major.

Applications must include a resume and a statement on how the anticipated research will support the student’s educational goals.

Individual students will be limited to two research assistantships during the course of their academic career at UT.

Unsatisfactory work at any point will be grounds for the assistantships to be revoked. This includes failure to complete work on an agreed-upon schedule. Students will be paid for all work completed on a research assistantship.